Counselling Articles

Published11 February, 2018

With one in six workers suffering from anxiety and stress, the workplace has become a battleground for mental health today. There is no doubt that in offices up and down the country employers have to face the reality of helping staff suffering from mental health problems. 18 million days were lost to mental health problems at a cost of £26 billion per year. These sobering statistics show it is not just a health problem that employers face, but a business one too. Continue reading →

Published26 January, 2018

Sometimes no matter what is said or what you try the relationship comes to an end. It may have been your choice to end the relationship; it may have been your partner’s. Yet however, you arrived the reality of the loss of your relationship and it is that you have to face and accept.

So do you pull on your pyjamas and head for the fridge and a tub of Ben and Jerry’s finest? What is the best way to deal with the end of a relationship?

Notice that you will have difficult mixed feelings. You are ending a relationship that you built up over months and years. While there may be many feelings and actions, you are angry and upset about, there will be moments of fondness for the good times you spent together. Perhaps you will even miss certain shared rituals and moments. Continue reading →

Published12 January, 2018

Often in relationships, we are looking for our partner to change. We want them to communicate better. We want them to show us they love us. We want them to spend more time together as a family. We want them to treat us with more respect. Then we are surprised when despite promises our partner does not live up to our expectations. Perhaps a different way to approach the problem would be to ask for action rather than point the direction we wish to go in.

Siobhan and James relationship story

Siobhan and James had been together for eight years. They were happy together however, recently she felt that James respected her less. She had noticed that he would point out her faults in a joking or disparaging manner in company. He would find fault with things that she had done around the house. He had stopped asking how they had gone at work.

She felt that they were no longer communicating effectively. They had talked and agreed that James would put more effort into supporting Siobhan. Despite promises, little had changed and as the months had gone on things got worse and the fights become bigger.

In therapy, they agreed to some action goals. James agreed that he would talk to Siobhan about her day for 10 minutes every day when she got in from work. He further agreed that he would not talk negatively about Siobhan in front friends or their children but if he had a complaint he would sit down with Siobhan and explain how he felt. While this did not solve all of their relationship problems, it began to give a basis for them to communicate more effectively because it offered progress.

What Action can I take?

Perhaps if you are feeling stuck in your relationship you might consider setting action goals. What is it that your partner could do that would make a difference to you? How would they know that they were achieving it? What one thing could you do for your partner that would make a difference? How will you know when you are achieving it?

The answers to these questions offer practical way that you and your partner can ensure that you are listening to their needs and are responding by changing your behaviour. The process may seem false at first, but it offers a starting point for change.

Apply same principle to other problems that you encounter in your relationship. Thus rather than your always leaving your clothes for me to pick up. Try something that is more action focused: “it would help me if you could pick up and put away your clothes”. The first feels like criticism, while the second achieves the same results Taking this approach puts across the feeling and asks for immediate action.

By taking more of an action approach to problems in your relationship, it is possible to tackle the issues head on. It may be that the help of a therapist can help you identify what the key actions should be to make the biggest difference. Often couples feel the big obstacles with communication and the need a therapist to get started. However, as you move into action it can make a real difference to your relationship.

Published18 September, 2017

Suicide rates in the UK have been falling, yet suicide is still the leading cause of death in young men. Having just had national suicide week, we are all considering the ways to be more aware of those with suicidal feelings. Can we learn and can we help to make a difference to the problem? Continue reading →

Published20 August, 2017

Stress and Anxiety

Anxiety and stress are perhaps the most common complaint in the UK today. Anxiety is driven by emotion, worried thoughts and tensions, often accompanied by unwanted physical symptoms. Sufferers of anxiety will be familiar with the intrusive thoughts and concerns. They seem to break into every waking moment and often prevent us from getting to sleep at night. The condition literally changes lives and we can find ourselves avoiding situations, people and places because of our anxieties and fears of what might happen. Continue reading →

Published25 April, 2017

Anxiety is a strong survival system that has its place in keeping us safe. It can create the necessary state in our bodies that lets us respond to emergencies. This helps if we are attacked or our house catches fire. It also warns us whenever there is a threat. Yet this means we feel anxious in the dentist surgery, before an exam or when speaking in public.

Published7 February, 2017

Should your company provide employee counselling ? You don’t have to be Peter Jones, James Caan or Deborah Meaden to understand that a healthy workforce, both mentally and physically, is important to the success of your business. Traditionally we have been good at thinking about our physical safety at work. We have fire extinguishers, we go on moving and handling courses or we may have to wear protective clothing. Yet when it comes to mental health there is less of a safety culture. Yet the simplest changes, such as environment and access to employee counselling can make a big difference. Continue reading →